The '''Long Winter''' (November {{TA|2758}} to March {{TA|2759|n}}<ref name="Eorl">{{App|Eorl}}</ref>) was an extremely cold and long-lasting winter in [[Middle-earth]], covering [[Eriador]], [[Dunland]] and [[Rohan]].

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==History==

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===Rohan===

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In {{TA|2758}}, [[Easterlings]] and [[Dunlendings]] (led by [[Wulf]]) attacked [[Rohan]] from both the north-west and east; not only was [[Gondor]] unable to help due its war with the [[Corsairs of Umbar|Corsairs]], but the Dunlendings were strengthened with the enemies of Gondor who had travelled up the rivers [[Isen]] and [[Lefnui]]. The [[Rohirrim]] were defeated; [[Kings of Rohan|King]] [[Helm|Helm Hammerhand]]'s son, [[Haleth (son of Helm)|Haleth]], was killed; and Wulf sat in [[Meduseld]] declaring himself King.<ref name="Eorl"/>

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The '''Long Winter''' was an extremely cold and long-lasting winter in [[Middle-earth]].

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The Long Winter compounded the problems: Rohan was under snow for five months with both the Rohirrim and their enemies suffering grievously from famine. Meanwhile, King Helm took refuge in the [[Hornburg]] and the ravine behind (becoming known as [[Helm's Deep]]): at [[Yule]] a great counsel was held, and, against the King's advice, [[Háma]], Helm's younger son, went out in a sortie and was lost in the snow. King Helm himself would secretly go out to enemy camps, clad in white, and slay many men with his bare hands - before he left he would always blow his great horn, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. One day, the men heard Helm's great horn blowing in the [[Deeping-coomb]], but when they came to him, they saw that he had died, standing upright.<ref name="Eorl"/>

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The Long Winter began in November 2758 of the [[Third Age]], and snow soon covered all of [[Eriador]] and [[Rhovanion (region)|Rhovanion]] all the way south to the [[Ered Nimrais]]. [[Sauron]] used the winter to his advantage, staging an attack on [[Gondor]] by the [[Corsairs of Umbar]] and fleets of the [[Haradrim]], while at the same time [[Easterlings]] and [[Dunlendings]] backed by Corsairs attacked Rohan. King [[Helm Hammerhand]] was trapped in the [[Hornburg]], where he was forced to make desperate raids on the Dunlendings led by [[Wulf]] in order to get food. Gondor was unable to send help as its coasts and east flank were under attack. In the north the people of [[Arnor]] also suffered greatly, dying of hunger.

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Come March {{TA|2759}}, the Long Winter ended and [[Fréaláf|Fréaláf Hildeson]], Helm's sister-son and new King of Rohan, came from [[Dunharrow]] and took back [[Edoras]], catching the Dunlendings unaware and killing [[Wulf]]; the Dunlendings and Easterlings were driven out of Rohan (including [[Isengard]]), or else they had perished. The melted snow caused great floods with the [[Entwash]] becoming a vast fen; and in the spring, once [[Beregond (Steward of Gondor)|Beregond]], son of [[Stewards of Gondor|Steward]] [[Beren (Steward of Gondor)|Beren]], had defeated the invaders from the south, [[Gondor]] sent aid to [[Rohan]].

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The winter ended in March T.A. 2759, when great floods of smeltwater allowed Helm's nephew [[Fréaláf Hildeson]] to oust the Dunlendings from Rohan, and Gondor now could come for help so that Rohan was soon cleared.

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===Gondor===

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Although the Long Winter did not affect [[Gondor]] directly, it did have an indirect effect: in {{TA|2758}}, three fleets<ref name="Eorl"/> of [[Corsairs of Umbar|Corsairs]] and [[Haradrim]] began to assail the coasts of Gondor as far north as the [[Isen|River Isen]];<ref name="Steward">{{App|Stewards}}</ref> due to the dual perils of the Long Winter and the war with the Dunlendings, the [[Rohirrim]] were unable to send help.<ref name="Elendil">{{PM|Elendil}}, p. 205</ref>

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After [[Beregond (Steward of Gondor)|Beregond]] had defeated the invaders, Gondor began to recover to its former power. However, in {{TA|2758}}, seeing [[Rohan]]'s weakness, the [[Stewards of Gondor|Steward]], [[Beren (Steward of Gondor)|Beren]] gave the keys to [[Orthanc]] to the [[Wizards|wizard]] [[Saruman]].<ref name="Steward">{{App|Stewards}}</ref>

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See also the [[Fell Winter]] of 2911&ndash;2912.

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===The Shire===

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It is told in both [[Appendix B|The Tale of Years]] and the [[The Lord of the Rings Prologue|Prologue]] that the Long Winter resulted in the deaths of many thousands of [[Hobbits]] in [[The Shire]].<ref name="Prologue">{{FR|Hobbits}}</ref> Although the [[Wizards|wizard]] [[Gandalf]] came to the aid of the Hobbits,<ref name="B">{{App|B2}}</ref> a dreadful famine followed the Long Winter, known as the [[Days of Dearth]], which lasted into {{TA|2760}}.

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The Long Winter had a more indirect effect on the history of The Shire, [[The One Ring]] and [[Middle-earth]]: it was during the Long Winter that Gandalf first became fond of [[Hobbits]] and their affairs, which indirectly led to Gandalf's selection of [[Bilbo Baggins]] to go on the [[The Hobbit#Synopsis|Quest of Erebor]]:

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{{quote|<nowiki>'</nowiki>And then there was the Shire-folk. I began to have a warm place in my heart for them in the Long Winter, which none of you can remember. They were very hard put to it then: one of the worst pinches they have been in, dying of cold, and starving in the dreadful dearth that followed. But that was the time to see their courage, and their pity one for another. It was by their pity as much as their tough uncomplaining courage that they survived. I wanted them to survive. [...] And anyway you must begin at some point, with some on person. I dare say he was "chosen" and I was only chosen to choose him; but I picked out Bilbo.<nowiki>'</nowiki>|[[Gandalf]] speaking to [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]<ref name="UT">{{UT|Erebor}}</ref><ref name="Annotated Hobbit">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Douglas A. Anderson]], ''[[The Annotated Hobbit]]'', "Appendix A. The Quest of Erebor", p. 370</ref>}}

The Long Winter compounded the problems: Rohan was under snow for five months with both the Rohirrim and their enemies suffering grievously from famine. Meanwhile, King Helm took refuge in the Hornburg and the ravine behind (becoming known as Helm's Deep): at Yule a great counsel was held, and, against the King's advice, Háma, Helm's younger son, went out in a sortie and was lost in the snow. King Helm himself would secretly go out to enemy camps, clad in white, and slay many men with his bare hands - before he left he would always blow his great horn, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. One day, the men heard Helm's great horn blowing in the Deeping-coomb, but when they came to him, they saw that he had died, standing upright.[1]

Come March T.A.2759, the Long Winter ended and Fréaláf Hildeson, Helm's sister-son and new King of Rohan, came from Dunharrow and took back Edoras, catching the Dunlendings unaware and killing Wulf; the Dunlendings and Easterlings were driven out of Rohan (including Isengard), or else they had perished. The melted snow caused great floods with the Entwash becoming a vast fen; and in the spring, once Beregond, son of StewardBeren, had defeated the invaders from the south, Gondor sent aid to Rohan.

Gondor

Although the Long Winter did not affect Gondor directly, it did have an indirect effect: in T.A.2758, three fleets[1] of Corsairs and Haradrim began to assail the coasts of Gondor as far north as the River Isen;[2] due to the dual perils of the Long Winter and the war with the Dunlendings, the Rohirrim were unable to send help.[3]

"'And then there was the Shire-folk. I began to have a warm place in my heart for them in the Long Winter, which none of you can remember. They were very hard put to it then: one of the worst pinches they have been in, dying of cold, and starving in the dreadful dearth that followed. But that was the time to see their courage, and their pity one for another. It was by their pity as much as their tough uncomplaining courage that they survived. I wanted them to survive. [...] And anyway you must begin at some point, with some on person. I dare say he was "chosen" and I was only chosen to choose him; but I picked out Bilbo.'"